hobart indiana residents file lawsuit against hobart officials over amazon data center

Breaking: Hobart Citizens Sue Their City Over Data Center Actions

     HOBART INDIANA :    Four homeowners have asked an Indiana judge to vacate multiple actions by the Hobart Indiana City Council and Plan Commission that have prepped the way for the possible construction of a giant, Amazon Data Center on more than a square mile of farmland within the city limits.
     The plaintiffs allege the two municipal bodies violated their “due process rights under the constitutions of the United States and the State of Indiana.”
     The Hobart homeowners also say in the court filing their city leaders’ actions were “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion” and “otherwise not in accordance with law and unsupported by substantial evidence.”
     “We are fighting because our neighborhoods and our children’s future are too important to hand over without due process,” said Angelita Soriano, a plaintiff and an opposition leader. “This lawsuit is our effort to keep our government accountable and to defend Hobart families, homes, water, and our environment.
     “Residents shouldn’t be ignored or deprived of their rights just to fast track a massive industrial data center development in the heart of our community right next to our schools, hospitals, and homes,” Soriano said.
     The suit asks the court to overturn Plan Commission and City Council resolutions and ordinances that have rezoned from R-3 residential to M-1 “light” industrial about 725 acres of farmland south of 61st Avenue and east of Colorado St., all in Ross Township.
     The suit also challenges the “vacate” procedures used by the commission and council to attempt to trade away to a data center developer 2.84 acres of land purchased for $56,800 by the city’s Redevelopment Commission and then resold for the same price to the Hobart Sanitary District.
        Since 2022, thousands of Hobart residents have been battling both of these Hobart government bodies, which have tried to impose an industrial development zone in Hobart. So far, the city’s industrialization schemes have been unsuccessful.

     The protestors say the land is nearly at the geographical center of the Hobart and is no place for industry, with wetlands adjacent to Deep River, which flows past the Hobart Prairie Grove section of the Indiana Dunes National Park, into Lake George, past downtown Hobart and its crown jewel Lakefront Park, and eventually, into Burns Ditch and Lake Michigan. (see articles below)
     Hobart residents most directly affected adversely by the proposed industrial development would be the owners of 220 adjacent homes in three major subdivisions north of 61st Avenue and individual homes dotted along 61st and Colorado St. At least 80 of those homes rely on well water.
     Hundreds more homes, five parks, a hospital and a proposed grade school lie within two miles of the proposed data center site.
     Two different developers, Hobart Devco LLC and Wylie Capital, with data center projects totaling 565 acres, have appeared this year before the commissioners and council members.
     Both developers received their requested zoning changes from R-3 to M-1, despite mounting pressure from citizens opposed to their projects. An estimated 500 people, mostly protestors, attended a contentious and sometimes raucous Plan Commission meeting in early November over a Devco permit application.
     In addition, city officials last month announced that Amazon (the giant online shopping service and data storage and computer services provider) was building a $15 BILLION data center in Hobart at 61st Ave. and Colorado St – it was all over the news on several different news media outlets.
     The city also took its first steps this month toward creating a 725-acre Economic Redevelopment Area (ERA) that encompasses the two revealed data center project areas, and more. The tax-abatement area includes about 158 acres that were rezoned in 2022 to M-1 at the behest of industrial park developer Becknell Industries. Becknell withdrew from its warehouse project, but M-1 zoning it received remains attached to the land.
     The proposed new ERA would enable the city to grant tax breaks to Amazon on new buildings and equipment within its confines should the company or another data center developer reach agreement with the city.
     Also, Amazon and other developers could get a double dip from the city since the site is part of a tax-diverting Tax Increment Finance district.
     In addition to Soriano, the other named plaintiffs are Albina Venagas-Roman, Barbara Koteles and Joseph Conn. The plaintiffs are not seeking specific monetary damages, only to recoup their legal costs and attorney’s fees.

     The suit was filed Monday, December 8th, 2025 in Lake County Superior Court by David E. Dearing, an Indianapolis-based lawyer specializing in environmental law, land use, zoning and wetlands regulation.

     Link to the court filing (to be added, previous link has been moved)

    
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Sue

Sue Baxter

Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak – a national news affiliate.

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About The Author

Sue Baxter

Susie Young Baxter, CEO, has published PanoramaNOW Magazine for 31 years. Her hobbies are Camping, Boating, Hiking, Nature, Gardening and Outdoor Activities. She is an Artist, Graphic Designer, an Avid Seamstress, Dabbles in Homemade Crafts and Landscaping. Since her Father was a Health Teacher, she also likes homeopathic Health Solutions. Since blogging started over 10 years ago, PanoramaNow has been added to Newsbreak - a national news affiliate.